With the warm temperatures and long, sunny days of summer, there is an increase in outdoor eating – backyard barbeques, picnics, and outdoor parties abound – and along with eating outdoors is the desire for simplicity and easy cleanup. Disposable paper plates and plastic glasses are convenient and simple, but, in the current culture of reduce, reuse, and recycle, it’s hard to justify adding more single-use dishes to landfills that are already overwhelmed. Now there is an alternative – biodegradable and compostable tableware.
What is Biodegradable and Compostable Tableware?
Unlike traditional paper plates and plastic cups, which are made from petroleum, these dishes are made from non-toxic, organic materials that decompose in home compost bins or commercial composting facilities. They cost a little more than regular paper dishes and may not be available in your local grocery store, but if the demand for these dishes continues to increase, those issues may change. Most biodegradable and compostable tableware are made from either sugarcane (bagasse) or starch.
Sugarcane-based Biodegradable Products
These dishes are made from the fibrous residue, called bagasse, that is left over after sugarcane has been crushed and sugar has been extracted. The bagasse is then processed and mixed with recycled paper and pressed into molds to form dishes. The final product is strong, microwavable, freezer safe, oil resistant, and capable of handling hot or cold foods and beverages. In addition, bagasse is a renewable resource that would otherwise need to be disposed of in a landfill or by burning. According to the manufacturers, dishes made from bagasse decompose in home composting bins in about 3 months and, in commercial composting facilities in 30–45 days.
Starch-based Biodegradable Products
Cornstarch-based dishes are actually made from Polylactide (PLA), which is made from lactic acid produced through corn fermentation. Corn plastic products look and feel like regular plastic, but they are 100% biodegradable and compostable. Since corn is a renewable resource, corn plastics are more sustainable than regular plastic and PLA is made from lower-grade corn that is not usually eaten by people. Dishes made from cornstarch can withstand higher temperatures than those made with bagasse. Corn-based plastics are often used to produce plastic plates, cups for cold drinks, as well as cutlery. The plates and cups can be composted at home in 180 days, but cutlery must be composted in commercial composting facilities where temperatures are higher than home composting environments. One drawback to using corn-based dishes is that some corn residue can transfer to food and trigger allergic reactions in people with corn allergies. Dishes may also be made from potato, wheat, or tapioca starch.
Before You Buy Biodegradable Tableware
At first glance, biodegradable and compostable dishes sound like the perfect solution – convenient and environmentally-friendly. However, North American waste disposal systems have not yet caught up to these products and may not be able to handle them. If biodegradable and compostable dishes are put in the trash, they gather in the landfills like any other paper plate or cup and do not decompose. Before you purchase biodegradable or compostable dishes, consider how you will dispose of them after they are used. For more information about disposing of biodegradable and compostable dishes, see Disposing of Biodegradable Dishes.
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